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Logic + Vocabulary Programs??
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Hi, im trying to figure out what everyone uses for Logic and Vocabulary Programs??
Never done logic,,,,,for vocabulary I have used Wordly Wise and they just dont like it!! and they dont do well with it!! So,, does anyone use something (workbook,etc) or no official program? I just dont know how to do it without a “workbook” to make sure they are 1. doing it, 2. covering enough,,,, They are 13,12,9 (2 in grade 7, 1 in grade 4) in the fall…any suggestions or examples of how you do it or what you use would be great!!Thanks so much, billiejo
Hey,
We used Wordly Wise last year and hated it. PLUS they don’t remember any of it. Very big waste of time in my book.
This year, I bought Rummy Roots. It has three decks of cards with Latin/Greek roots and their English meanings. They play various games with them. My boys (ages 12 and 11) have played them 2 times (required) plus they asked me to play with them again today (extra-never had this happen with Wordly Wise
). They have almost memorized the roots on the first two decks of cards just from playing games. So today, after I played with them, I asked them some vocabulary words that contained the roots (ie geothermal, chronobiology) and they could mostly figure out the definitions from the roots they had learned. So far I’m very happy and very impressed and they love it.HTH, Rebecca
OK. It is time to drop the term “covering enough” from homeschool. Seriously. There is no such thing. Not in homeschool, and certainly not in public school.
What you want is good vocabulary development. You don’t need to “cover” things to get that. Draw words out of their readings, for starters. If they are reading real, living books, then either 1) their vocabularies are already better than most people’s, possibly better than your own, and you don’t need to do anything, or 2) the readings are peppered with words that are worth the time to look up. Make a running list as you go, and look them up, and try to use them during the week. Instant vocabulary program, for free. 🙂 Make it fun, not drudgery. Consider giving a small “reward” to anyone who brings up an interesting vocabulary word for everyone to learn from one of their readings, then look it up for fun, try to use it, make silly sentences. THAT will get remembered. If you make a list, require everyone to make an index card, memorize it and write 3 sentences using it, you will get dread, not learning. 🙂
The other thing to do is what Rebecca is doing. Seriously, seriously consider teaching either Latin or a roots program. If you teach Latin for 2 or 3 years, your kids will have the vocabulary of a graduate student. Really. I know I sound like a broken record sometimes, but if you want your kids to have good grammar, good vocabularies, good spelling, TEACH LATIN!!!!
OK, off soapbox. 🙂
Oh, and I forgot. For beginning logic we like the Bluedorns’ fun books, The Thinking Toolbox and The Fallacy Detective. Fun, interesting, sparking good discussions.
Hey Bookworm…thanks for the nudge. I wanted to start Latin this fall but when putting my schedule together, I forgot all about it. Your post reminded me!
I agree with Bookworm. 🙂 We did our first year of latin last year and my kids routinely stump there dad (and the oldest is 11). Also, we find hard words in our readings. My 11 year old is learning heaps from a Henty novel he is reading. Even Beatrix Potter has increased my vocabulary.
As far as latin goes, we are going to use First Form from Memoria Press. We did Latina Christiana last year and are switching to the new version this year. I hear it moves through everything thoroughly, but has enough review to make it all stick without mom having to come up with reinforcement exercises. Of course, there are many wonderful programs, but I just thought I would throw something out there.
What age(s) are you talking about teaching Latin and Logic? What would be an average age for reading the Bluedorns books? and formal Latin (like what Bookworm seemed to be referring to)?
The Bluedorns’ books are not formal logic, but informal. I am uncertain if I am going to spend much time on formal logic. I obviously never “got it” 🙂 I think they are good for 11-12 and up. I wouldn’t do formal logic until teen years. It’s very, um, tedious (IMO obviously!) Latin, I begin at about 10-11.
Oh, my, I’m losing my antecedents left and right. LOL By “they” being good for 11-12 and up, I meant the Bluedorns’ books.
Thanks, Bookworm! I knew what you meant. Maybe we have the same logic. LOL!!! I also undrestood that the Bluedorns’ books were not formal. Do your kids read them on their own or do you read them together? I’ve heard of them, but am not yet familiar with them.
The kids read the chapter on their own, and then in the evening we all have a discussion and do the exercises. We’ve had some rather interesting, free-wheeling and long discussions! We’ve even disagreed with the Bluedorn brothers a few times, and our oldest even emailed them once. Fun! I was reading a very, um, interesting book earlier this year that had come very, very highly recommended, but I found a lot of flaws in it. Just for fun, I decided to read parts to the kids. It was fun to watch them holler out the logical fallacies in the author’s writing. 🙂 We had lots of fun during the presidential campaigns last year, too, finding logical fallacies. It’s a fun “sport”.
HI, Thank you all so much for the ideas! We have been doing SOS Spanish for elementary kids and i will have the 9 yr old finish it this year and i guess start Latin with the 12 yr old. Which Latin program is low price,has levels like level 1, level 2, etc,to be able to stay with the same publisher from 7- 10thgrade?,and easy to teach?
Now to go back to the “cover enough” topic,,,,In our state we have to take achievment tests, we do the CAT test every year. Now if you score low the state can come in and put your homeschool on probation then be able to come in and observe any time they want…So that is why i say “cover enough” (meaning: at the same grade as PS kids,so they can do well on the CAT that is comparing the same grade level scores across the board)..so i kinda stay with what they are teaching in what grade because of the CAT test,, So this info was just to let you know where im coming from with the “cover enough” or should i say compared too PS?
My 12 yr old (in the fall) has a high level speaking vocabulary everyone says so since she was 4,,on the CAT test she didnt do well with vocabulary part on the CAT(30-40percentile last year) (havnt got this years results yet) and i thought she wouldve breezed through that section without a hiccup! so we went to Wordly wise this last year, she memorized the list without a problem (literally in 4 minutes of looking at the new list she handed it back to me and told me every meaning for every word on the list which is like 10-15 words with up to 3 meanings each sometimes!) so she gets “bored” with having to use the sections following it cause she “knows” the word and uses it well in context! She’s the same in other subjects,,,we dont do alot of “review” type stuff cause she gets mad and says i already know it and she does! her math is in the 99th percentile on the CAT’s every year! She hates i mean hates reading anything! She reads very well though! comprehension is above average on the CAT(85-90percentile).
The 13 yr old isnt mine (they hired me),(high anxiety,possibly ADD?) they dont care what he learns as long as he is learning,,but will go to PS in 9th grade so im trying to stay on with PS for his subjects too,,He hates the Wordly wise and doesnt remember more then 1 or 2 words on the list and reads at a 4 or 5th gr level,,,comprehension isnt all that great either,,so very different then my 12 yr old..(have had him for 4th grade,6th gr) So i need something for him for vocabulary that isnt to difficult for now?? not to distracting? Would the card game you mentioned above help him maybe?? would you try Latin with him at this stage??
I just dont think i will follow through with the idea of write down words from reading and look them up etc..(they did some of that this year but got to the point of saying ” there wasnt any i didnt know” and i wasnt going to reread all pages in every subject to find some)..i need a list to make them do to make sure its hard enough for there age and not too easy of words that a 3rd grader should do,,,A workbook or program is really more needed for me to follow through and checkmark that box,,,,Thanks again i will go check out the items you listed above so far, any more detailed advice would be great!!blessings billiejo
Would something like Total Language Plus work for them? http://site.totallanguageplus.com/
It is not a complete English program as you need to add your own grammar, but it covers books slowly so they can comprehend them. There are lots of sample online so you can see what it’s like.
Never done logic,,,,,for vocabulary I have used Wordly Wise and they just dont like it!! and they dont do well with it!! So,, does anyone use something (workbook,etc) or no official program? I just dont know how to do it without a “workbook” to make sure they are 1. doing it, 2. covering enough,,,, They are 13,12,9 (2 in grade 7, 1 in grade 4) in the fall…any suggestions or examples of how you do it or what you use would be great!!
). They have almost memorized the roots on the first two decks of cards just from playing games. So today, after I played with them, I asked them some vocabulary words that contained the roots (ie geothermal, chronobiology) and they could mostly figure out the definitions from the roots they had learned. So far I’m very happy and very impressed and they love it.
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